Boniface marks milestone with goal against Hoffenheim in first game after injury, Orban strikes

Victor Boniface marked his return from injury with a goal in Bayer Leverkusen's 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the BayArena.  

The Super Eagles forward reached a milestone of fifty appearances for Bayer Leverkusen with his inclusion in the starting lineup comprising 34 in the Bundesliga, 8 in the Europa League, 4 in the DFB Pokal,  3 in the UEFA Champions League, and one in the DFL-Supercup.

Boniface had been sidelined since November 2024 after sustaining an injury while representing Nigeria in a 2-1 loss to Rwanda during the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in Uyo.

During his absence, the 24-year-old missed fourteen games across all competitions.  

Making his much-anticipated comeback, Boniface opened the scoring for Leverkusen with a powerful left-footed strike into the bottom right corner in the 15th minute. 

Jeremie Frimpong doubled the hosts' lead before halftime, giving Xabi Alonso's side full control of the match.  

The goal was Boniface's ninth of the season in 16 appearances across all competitions, coming after a turbulent winter transfer window that saw him linked with a move to Saudi side Al Nassr.

However, the proposed transfer fell through, with the club opting to sign Aston Villa's Jhon Durán instead.  

Boniface was substituted at halftime for Patrik Schick, who later added Leverkusen's third goal, while Gift Orban pulled one back for Hoffenheim.  

Meanwhile, Nathan Tella sustained an injury during the game and was replaced by Emiliano Buendía, adding to Leverkusen's injury concerns.

Adeyemi Adewale

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